Lost Mesa
Lost Mesa was one of the secret preserves and located in the desert of Arizona. The preserve was run by the Navajo and Pueblo people, and, due to their culture, there were always a female caretaker. As all of the preserves, Lost Mesa is shielded by a potent distracter spell, not even noticable by satellites. Description An empty dirt road extends through desert landscape towards the gate of Lost Mesa, with rough country-uneven plains interrupting rocky gorges and sheer plateaus. Sun-baked dirt and turquoise sagebrush decorates the terrain. Advancing forward, a low barbed-wire fence with a battered wooden gate affixed to slim, rusted posts spans the road. The three-wired fence stretches out of sight in either direction. A faded No Trespassing sign hangs on the gate, red background with white letters. As the preserve is shielded by a powerful distracter spell, visitors can normally not spot the gate from the outside. Immediately after enetring through the gate, the massive Painted Mesa comes into view. The looming plateau is not only enormous, it is striking, with bands of white, yellow, orange, and red, coloring its steep sides. The imposing mesa is not the only variation in the landscape beyond the fence. Tall saguaro cacti are suddenly plentiful, rounded green arms pointing skyward. Joshua trees mingles with the saguaros, contorted limbs twisting into unlikely shapes. The road is now paved and its asphalt looks dark enough to be recently laid. Further in, fairies begin populating the landscape, a few bright, with butterfly or dragonfly wings, but most colored in more earthy shades. Many have scales or spines or protective carapaces. New species of cacti come into view. Some have leaves like swords; others have long, spindly arms; still others have reddish needles. Sitting up next to a clump of spherical cacti, a jackalope was spotted. After topping a rise, the main buildings of Lost Mesa come into view. The huge pueblo complex looks like two dozen boxy adobe homes artfully stacked together. The windows are dark, with no glass. Wooden beams jut from the reddish-brown walls. Beside the pueblo stands a white hacienda with a red-tiled roof. The horseshoe-shaped hacienda looks considerably more modern than the pueblo complex. A tall water tower overshadows the hacienda, built on long stilts. Across a vacant area from the houses stands two other structures. One is a vast wooden building with a curved aluminum roof, the Museum of Unnatural History, the other is a low, domed structure that shelters a wide area. The gigantic black head of the milch cow Mazy protrudes through a large opening just above ground level. History As the oldest preserve in North America, it was founded centuries before European colonization by Persian wizards to conceal the hallowed Painted Mesa. It was first managed by the ancient race outsiders call Anasazi. Now it is run by the Navajo and Pueblo people. ''Grip of the Shadow Plague'' The mission to recover the artifact that was hidden at Lost Mesa, the Chronometer, ended up being pointless, as the artifact had already been moved many decades earlier, when Patton Burgess transported it to Fablehaven. Not long after, the preserve fell due to Navarog releasing Chalize, who in turn overthrew the treaty. Known Magical Creatures found at Lost Mesa *Dragons **Chalize **Ranticus - deceased, slain by Patton Burgess, resurrected by Mr. Lich *Fairies *Goblins *Jackalopes *Kachinas *Milch cow **Mazy *Skinwalkers **Neil - deceased, slain by chokepods *Zombies *Unidentified creatures Known Magical Items found at Lost Mesa * Lost Mesa sword * Rain stick Known Locations found at Lost Mesa * Boneyard * Museum of Unnatural History * Painted Mesa ** Festival Road ** Flooded Stairs ** Old Weather Room ** Twilight Way Source * Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven #3) * Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4) Category:Preserves Category:Artifact preserves Category:Locations Category:Secret preserves